Defensive gains have Cowboys optimistic

CARLTON THOMPSON, Copyright 2001 Houston Chronicle

Published 6:30 am, Tuesday, December 11, 2001

IRVING -- The Dallas Cowboys have won four of their last eight games, but even if they could win at this rate for the duration of a 16-game season, they still would have fallen short of owner Jerry Jones' unrealistic prediction of a 10-win season.

But improvement is measured in small doses, and after opening the season with four consecutive losses, the Cowboys are proving they can take their medicine as well as prescribe a few bitter pills of their own.

Make no mistake; this is still not a good football team, and the Cowboys -- even Jones -- would be the first to admit it. However, the fact the Cowboys' four victories have come against teams that were in the playoff picture entering this past weekend -- Washington (twice), Arizona and the New York Giants -- is proof they are capable of beating quality teams. And the biggest reason has been defense.

Dallas has the seventh-ranked defense in the NFL, and they are the only team in the top nine with a losing record. The Cowboys have the NFL's top-ranked passing defense, and they are one of only three teams in the top 12 in that category with more losses than wins. Their run defense, which ranked dead last in the NFL in 2000, is a respectable 16th this season, yet their record stands at 4-8.

Clearly, the Cowboys defense has played well enough to warrant a better record, but not well enough to overcome the third-worst offense in the league. But on days like Sunday, when the Cowboys put everything together in a 20-13 victory over the Giants, there is hope for the future.

And that hope, as far as Cowboys coach Dave Campo is concerned, comes in the form of players who are buying into the rebuilding program and simply refuse to give up, particularly on the defensive side of the football.

The Giants moved up and down the field with ease in the opening quarter against the Cowboys but managed only two field goals in the first quarter and 13 points in the first half. New York was shut out in the second half by a defense that is currently playing as well as any in the league.

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"I'm absolutely sick about being 4-8," Campo said. "I can promise you that. But the thing that is exciting is that we don't have very many guys who are going to lay down. This team likes to play. They're excited about making progress, and hopefully we'll be able to continue to build on that and give us a little better base for the future."

The Cowboys actually began plotting the future of their defense after last season, when they decided they liked their talent for the most part but were unsure if the scheme matched the personnel. After studying countless hours of film on other teams, Campo, defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer and the other defensive coaches took the best of what they saw, and the results have been encouraging.

"The players have felt all along that we were making progress, and that's what we've tried to identify from day one, especially at this time of the year," Campo said. "I don't think we knew specifically going into the year how successful we would be, (and) they've probably done a better job overall than what we would have expected. They've been in a position to make plays, and they're making plays."

For all the talk about evaluating the quarterback position on offense, the Cowboys have been just as adamant about sorting out the cornerback position. They went to training camp with Mario Edwards and Izell Reese at the top of the depth chart and Kareem Larrimore and Duane Hawthorne breathing down their necks.

Reese eventually lost his starting job to Hawthorne, and the Cowboys eventually grew tired or Larrimore's immaturity and issued his walking papers. Edwards held on to his job and has continued to improve, and Hawthorne has solidified the spot left vacant by Reese.

"Our corners have been playing really well of late, and that makes it easier on me and (free safety) George Teague," veteran strong safety Darren Woodson said. "Mario has been playing the deep ball well the past six or seven games.

"I think we're building confidence, and that's something you have to do with young players. We all knew these guys had talent. It was just a matter of letting them play through their mistakes and gain some experience. They're only going to continue to get better."

The next challenge for the Cowboys is to find a way to beat an opponent from outside their division, beginning Sunday at Seattle. Dallas is 4-3 against NFC East foes but 0-5 against others.